Thursday, February 25, 2010

Red-tailed Hawk Over Hawk Ridge

Hawk Ridge is one of the best places in North America to watch raptors during the fall migration. Each year as temps begin to fall many raptors begin their journey south. Some like osprey and broad-winged hawk are on their way to warm tropical climates. Other raptors, like red-tailed hawks and bald eagles, go only as far as necessary to find a spot where they will be able to find food through out the winter. All of them use thermals, warm air rising from the earth, to save energy as they migrate. Unfortunately the Great Lakes are large bodies of cold water and so there are no thermals so the birds choose to go around the lakes which is why many end up flying over Hawk Ridge. I photographed this red-tailed hawk flying over the ridge back in October.